Durga Puja: It's a million dollar business

he temple priest has rung his bell,
A cloud of smoke from candles and lamps
Haloes the Goddess, glowing bright
This beat of drums both maddens and dulls.

The incense burns: so heady the musk,
Our senses flounder in the flood.
This endless chant of sacred words
Soon drugs our lips and stuns our minds.

-- Thus wrote poet Srinjay Chakravarty, depicting aptly the spirit of Durga Puja, the greatest festival of the Bengalis the world over.

Bengalis, no matter in which corner of the world they reside in, ensure that they look, feel and eat their best during the four days of the festival that coincide with the last four days of Navratri.

And in their fervour to make the most of the festival, they often forget to acknowledge the contribution of those who work round the clock for months to make Durga Puja a success.

Do you know that beneath the veneer of ornate pandals, intricately sculptured idols, rustling new clothes and endless series of cultural exercises, Durga Puja happens to be a million-dollar business, orchestrated by several tireless souls.

Take the case of Kumartuli, India's only potter town, for instance.

Its unassuming, dingy lanes transform into makeshift dwelling places for hundreds associated with the idol making industry, a thriving business, months before the festival begins.

Apart from delivering more than 10,000 idols to Kolkata and other parts of India, Kumartuli churns out over 1,500 idols only for export to Indians living in the United States, South Africa, Canada, England, Australia, and parts of Europe.

As one enters Kumartuli, an intoxicating smell of wet clay fills one's senses -- a smell that reminds one of the untimely shower. At the moment, this seat of about 300 kumors (potters) is buzzing with activity.

Having shipped out more than 1,000 idols so far to various parts of the world, potters here have their hands full finishing idols ordered by local clubs and Puja committees.

Artistic acumen of Kumartuli potters/artists like Madhusudan Pal, Jayanta Pal, Pradeep Rudrapal, Sanatan Rudrapal, Mohanbanshi Rudrapal, is stuff stories are made of.

According to Jayanta Pal, "On an average, four to five people directly work on each idol, whereas about 250 people, mostly residents of southern suburbs of Kolkata, are indirectly involved in the process."

"The cost of an idol varies according to its size. For example, a 12-foot idol is expected to fetch Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000, whereas a taller version, a 20-foot structure, can fetch as much as Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000," says Pal.